Borneo and Kublai Khan by Lutens - First and Second impressions

Having discovered that Serge Lutens is extremely generous with samples, I've requested a few. I originally got Chergui, in sample atomizer, on a card.

This time, I requested and received Borneo 1834 and Muscs Kublai Khan. They were in small samples, with those tiny plastic sticks that you more or less wipe the fragrance on with, handwritten...obviously Lutens goes out of their way to send you samples, which i find to be excellent service.

Borneo 1834:
1st smelling: The initial application to me was...not shock, but it took me back a little. I smelled a massive dose of patchouli, but in the background there was raw cocoa powder, as if you got the cocoa before anything is added.
2nd time: The two blended more this time, and it reminded me of Cocoa Mulch. My parents once bought a bunch of mulch with cocoa in it and I loved the smell of it. It reminded me exactly of that, an earthy cocoa. There really isn't much more too it, its pretty linear, but in this case linear is good.
It reminds me of Ice*Men, as if the nutmeg of ice*men was replaced with a raw cocoa note

Kublai Khan:
1st and 2nd: I honestly laughed at what this smelled like. I'd heard numerous times that this is absolutely vile...Well at first sniff it was an extremely warm (emphasis on warm), gorgeous floral . It gave way to a somewhat dirty, floral with a vague hint of petroleum...Its the bitter-like smell of petroleum meets a garden with rich earth in it. The drydown is sex+musk+floral. Its supposed to be the smell of sex, and it certainly has elements of this, buts its not a raunchy smell, its actually really pleasant. I feel like I may buy a bottle of this when I'm in my later 20's, early 30's, as long as it is available. Smelling it this very second, i get hints of spices along with the musk, florals, dirty accord and "eau de sex". I'm really considering a bottle of this in the future

EDIT: I just checked out the notes for Kublai Khan and its got rose in it, no wonder im a sucker for it. I absolutely love rose, especially the bulgarian rose of fragrances like Hane Mori

Re: Borneo and Kublai Khan by Lutens - First and Second impressions

I'm wearing MKK today. It's really a perfect fragrance for an autumn day as it's like you said Neurosis, warm. It smells like a slightly exaggerated version of the natural odor given off by a clean, healthy, human body.

Re: Borneo and Kublai Khan by Lutens - First and Second impressions

I know the question is directed to the OP, but I have sampled both fragrances generously and here's my opinion. I find Musc Ravageur gorgeous and indulgent, think sex following a rich dessert (that vanilla and musk combo is divine and slightly ranchy). MKK reminds of sex on a hot night where the air conditioner isn't working and you've just come back from a jog. You have that natural human musk smell, but it's more alluring than offensive. MKK is softened by florals and other notes and is far kinder than is often stated. I'd feel more comfortable wearing MR in public as I feel that it would be least likely to repulse or offend. As with many, I wear fragrance for myself but do not wish to flaunt at the expense of others.

MR: Indulgent Sweet Sexy
MKK: Natural Sweaty Sexy

I would enjoy owning both for the aforementioned reasons. Once again, MKK is not a nasty fragrance at all...(IMHO) but I adoooore MR.

Re: Borneo and Kublai Khan by Lutens - First and Second impressions

My second impression was: REALLY disgusting....now in fairness, I don't like Kouros either for similar reasons, so maybe it's just not my cup of tea. I DO like Mazzolari Lui, for comparison.

Personally, I don't like the idea of spending $200 to smell like body odor. If I wanted that, I would go run around outside and not put on any deodorant.

Based on this and other posts, you seem to be easily disgusted.

Personally, I respect MKK as a beautiful execution of a no-holds-barred musk. Quite a masterpiece in that regard. Unfortunately, I don't think I could pull it off, although I'd love to smell it on a woman. Borneo 1834 has become one of my favorite fragrances. Can't get enough of it.

Everyone is entitled to his own opinions, but not his own facts. Daniel Moynihan

Re: Borneo and Kublai Khan by Lutens - First and Second impressions

I don't understand why people would consider MR to smell like sex. It smells sexy, but not very much like sex. Comparing it to other animalic musky fragrances I tried, such as Urban musk, it has very little sex in it.

Re: Borneo and Kublai Khan by Lutens - First and Second impressions

I love both. MKK is not the least bit disgusting; it smells quite floral, sweet and a bit powdery. Its a bit sweaty as well. All of it adds up to a well executed musk; though it may fit women a bit better than men. Borneo is wonderful overall provided you like patchouli. These two may be my favorites from this house.

Re: Borneo and Kublai Khan by Lutens - First and Second impressions

Originally Posted by Ekove

I don't understand why people would consider MR to smell like sex. It smells sexy, but not very much like sex. Comparing it to other animalic musky fragrances I tried, such as Urban musk, it has very little sex in it.

MKK sounds fantastic, I want to try it so bad

well its not the smell of sex itself, that'd be simply offensive, but rather a clean sweat with a promiscuous atmosphere...its hard to describe exactly

Re: Borneo and Kublai Khan by Lutens - First and Second impressions

Someone once said - on here, I think - that MKK would be the scent worn to big fancy gatherings in the Middle Ages/Renaissance times. They rarely bathed, except for the occasional skinny dip, so body odor was ripe to say the least. I personally love it for the fact that there is a smooth and hefty quality to it that makes me want to pour it all over me. But then, I'm not exactly normal, LOL. It layers well with sweeter fragrances, lending them some skank I might want to give off were I to be at a certain type party.

Re: Borneo and Kublai Khan by Lutens - First and Second impressions

Originally Posted by Ekove

...MKK sounds fantastic, I want to try it so bad

You could try Kiehl's Original Musk as well. A closer comparison with MKK than MR. Both floral, both earthily musky, but MKK winning in the animalic stakes (not by so much though). The heat where you are will bring both into full bloom.

Re: Borneo and Kublai Khan by Lutens - First and Second impressions

Re: Borneo and Kublai Khan by Lutens - First and Second impressions

Originally Posted by Ekove

I don't understand why people would consider MR to smell like sex. It smells sexy, but not very much like sex. Comparing it to other animalic musky fragrances I tried, such as Urban musk, it has very little sex in it.

MKK sounds fantastic, I want to try it so bad

Well, it's a very clean musk that gives MR a kick, the way spices do in fragrances, except it's more... sexy, for lack of a better word

Re: Borneo and Kublai Khan by Lutens - First and Second impressions

Originally Posted by Snafoo

Based on this and other posts, you seem to be easily disgusted.

Personally, I respect MKK as a beautiful execution of a no-holds-barred musk. Quite a masterpiece in that regard. Unfortunately, I don't think I could pull it off, although I'd love to smell it on a woman. Borneo 1834 has become one of my favorite fragrances. Can't get enough of it.

Nah, not really....I guess just different tastes....for example as bad as I think this is on a man, it would be WAY worse IMO on a woman. Different strokes for different folks, I guess......

Re: Borneo and Kublai Khan by Lutens - First and Second impressions

Originally Posted by JonB

I love both. MKK is not the least bit disgusting; it smells quite floral, sweet and a bit powdery. Its a bit sweaty as well. All of it adds up to a well executed musk

I agree 100%! Everyone talks about how it's a raunchy, vile scent, I never got that. There's a lot of civet and ambergris in it, sure, but it's not a "dirty" scent by anymeans. There's plenty of powder and a vanilla note that is present throughout.

Re: Borneo and Kublai Khan by Lutens - First and Second impressions

My 74 year old mother even liked MKK... though she was kind of afraid that she just couldn't smell all the nastiness everyone else claimed to smell, and that if she wore it she would smell nasty and not know it.

I don't know much about medicine, but I know what I like. -- S.J. Perelman